The longstanding threat of bioterrorism turned real with the deliberate release of anthrax spores in 2001.
In recent weeks, top Chinese officials, including Mr. Qian, have restated their longstanding threat to use military force if Taiwan makes any formal moves towards independence.
Even so, the European Commission reiterated last month a longstanding threat to impose rules unilaterally if shippers and the International Maritime Organization, a U.N. agency, failed to strike an international deal on reducing the industry's carbon footprint this year.
After a string of British and US hostages were beheaded by Isis, the White House announced it would help arrange talks and abandon its longstanding threat to prosecute the families who negotiate private ransom payments.
Meanwhile, Colonel Qaddafi was in Cairo today and repeated a longstanding threat to pull Libya out of the Arab League, saying his country was "basically an African state," Egypt's official Middle East News Agency reported.
The BMA agreed to call off walkouts planned for 1, 8 and 16 December after the health secretary finally bowed to their repeated request to drop his longstanding threat to impose the new contract on England's 45,000 junior doctors if agreement was not reached.
That situation intensifies the longstanding threat from Cold War nuclear arsenals - even with significant cuts back in the Reagan era.
The ongoing conflict is an opportunity to remove a longstanding threat to U.S. values and interests in the region.
